On the recordJanuary 8, 2014
Last month, many of us stood here and pleaded with Speaker Boehner to act to extend unemployment insurance for 1.3 million hurting Americans, including over 213,000 in California alone. Everyday Americans, people like Vincent, who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, will be devastated if we do not right this wrong. Vincent is 57 and worked at Bank of America in my home State of California. He says that he has interviewed with other organizations since being laid off but that he has not found a job. He has not given up, but Vincent worries that he may have to start sleeping in his car and going to food pantries since losing his unemployment benefits on December 28. Mr. Speaker, we have the ability to help these people. Congress has extended unemployment insurance time and time again with wide bipartisan support because it was the right thing to do. As human beings and as legislators, we must do that again. Earlier, many of us stood with President Johnson's daughter Lynda Johnson Robb as we marked the 50th anniversary of President Johnson's declaration of an unconditional war on poverty; and in this ongoing war on poverty, extending unemployment benefits to Americans who have lost their jobs is one of our greatest weapons. ____________________
